Software Engineering Apprentice Review
at Sky
Higher Level Apprenticeship
Software Engineering
Brentford
Review Submitted: May 2024
Overall Rating
4.3 /5
The Overall Rating is the average of all the ratings given in each category. We take those individual ratings and combine them into one final score!
4/5
-
Overview of Role
5/5
-
Skills Development
3.8/5
-
Structure and Support
Overview of Role
Please give an overview of your role and what this involves on a day-to-day basis:
4/5
Working alone or in pairs to complete or review tasks. Tasks are tracked on Jira. Taking part in SCRUM rituals such as stand up to keep other team memebers updated on task progress; and retros to review what did/didn't go well in the previous 2-3 weeks.
To what extent do you enjoy your programme?
4/5
I enjoyed the program, it has given me a lot of opportunity to de velop personally and professionally. I feel well supported by my Team and others in Sky.
Skills Development
Have you learnt any new skills or developed existing skills?
5/5
Once moved onto a delivery team, I've learnt a lot from other developers that has improved my coding skills. I've learnt a lot about testing, deployment and CI/CD which I had no knowledge of bfore the apprenticeship. There has also been many opportunities to develop my soft skills such as presenting through demos and showcases.
Structure and Support
How well organised/structured is your programme?
3/5
I think it is generally well structured. We started off with a boot camp, then educational projects and then moved to delivery teams. I think this is a good way of slowly stepping up to more responsibility.
I thought the training provider's workshops could be more streamlined; some apparentices were not prepared for the classes and the whole class would stop to help them set up. This is my only real gripe with the course. As it was all online, there could easily have been a separate call for people that need to do set up.
I thought that the requirements for evidence for the assessment was not clearly explained initially. I had a lot of conflicting opinions on whether my evidence was relevant or not. Towards the end of the apprenticeship, the training provider did seem to standardise and document the requirements really well, so I don't think this would be an issue for apprentices going forward.
I thought the training provider's workshops could be more streamlined; some apparentices were not prepared for the classes and the whole class would stop to help them set up. This is my only real gripe with the course. As it was all online, there could easily have been a separate call for people that need to do set up.
I thought that the requirements for evidence for the assessment was not clearly explained initially. I had a lot of conflicting opinions on whether my evidence was relevant or not. Towards the end of the apprenticeship, the training provider did seem to standardise and document the requirements really well, so I don't think this would be an issue for apprentices going forward.
How much support do you receive from your employer?
4/5
I am well supported by my manager and team. Everyone at Sky is willing to help so I have managed to find support when I've needed it.
How much support do you receive from your training provider when working towards your qualifications?
4/5
I thought the training provider's workshops could be more streamlined. I also had a lot of conflicting opinions on whether my coursework evidence was of a good enough standard. Towards the end of the apprenticeship, the training provider did standardise and document the requirements really well, so I don't think this would be an issue for apprentices going forward.
Despite this, I was overall very happy with the course and the support I received from my coaches, who I really can't fault. They are always willing to answer questions and review coursework, and are clearly very passionate about what they do.
I thought that the requirements for evidence for the assessment was not clearly explained initially. I
Despite this, I was overall very happy with the course and the support I received from my coaches, who I really can't fault. They are always willing to answer questions and review coursework, and are clearly very passionate about what they do.
I thought that the requirements for evidence for the assessment was not clearly explained initially. I
How well do you feel that your qualification (through your training provider) helps you to perform better in your role?
4/5
I think the training gave a really good starting point, particularly as an introduction to testing and deployment which did really benefit me moving to teams. One thing I think would be brilliant to incorporate into the training some focus on common management tools such as jira. Particularly as several parts were focussed on mini projects, it would have been great to introduce this topic early on as it is ubiquitous in the software development space.
Are there extra-curricular activities to get involved in at your work? (For example, any social activities, sports teams, or even professional networking events.)
4/5
Yes, there are a lot! My department has a live calendar of various events, including cultural events, sports events etc. There is the Sky cinema where you can watch films. We have also had some team socials.
Recommendations & Advice
Would you recommend Sky to a friend?
Yes
Why?
I've had an amazing experience working at Sky. The opportunity to learn while working on real and interesting projects is great. Everyone has been really supportive here and it is a good environment to work in.
What tips or advice would you give to others applying to Sky?
Be yourself and don't be afraid to ask questions
